Scotland Welcomes McGinley

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Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond welcomed Paul McGinley, the captain of The 2014 European Ryder Cup team to Scotland on his first visit to the country since he was appointed. 

The pair met at Bute House in Edinburgh, before McGinley travelled to Gleneagles for the first time since he was asked to lead Europe against the United States in 18 months’ time. 

The duo discussed the on-going planning for next year’s event, which is forecast to generate more than £100m for the Scottish economy and attract more than 250,000 spectators during tournament week.

And Mr Salmond offered his best wishes to the Irishman, as he prepares to lead a European team in a Ryder Cup held in Scotland for the first time in 40 years. 

The First Minister, who gave McGinley a gift of a boxed Hickory Putter from 1880, said: “I am absolutely delighted to welcome Paul back to the Home of Golf as he makes his first visit to Scotland as the European Ryder Cup captain.

“Paul has an enviable record in Ryder Cups, having never been on the losing side in the tournament and as a European golf fan I well remember his nerveless winning putt – and exuberant celebrations – at the Belfry in 2002!

“It is clear that the captaincy of the European Team is in terrific hands, and as excitement builds for the 2014 event at Gleneagles, I look forward to working with Paul, his team and all of our partners to ensure that we stage the best ever Ryder Cup.”

McGinley said: “I’m delighted to finally arrive in Scotland for the first time since being named captain for Gleneagles in 2014 and to have received such a warm welcome from the First Minister, Alex Salmond.

“I know a lot of work has already been undertaken in the last few years by a great team of people in preparation for 2014 and I am very much looking forward to being a part of that and making the event a great success.”

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Clarke Looking for Tshwane

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Darren Clarke and Michael Campbell will hope to make their Major presence felt when they tee up in this week’s inaugural Tshwane Open. 

The illustrious duo, the respective winners of the 2005 US Open Championship and The 140th Open Championship in 2011, have won a total of 22 European Tour titles across the globe, but neither man has yet tasted success in an event co-sanctioned by The European and Sunshine Tours. 

David Higgins, Michael Hoey, Peter Lawrie and Damien McGrane are also entered.

Clarke won the Dimension Data Pro-Am in South Africa 12 years ago, and will be seeking a first victory since lifting the Claret Jug at Royal St George’s two years ago.

Meanwhile, Campbell’s form has been showing signs of improvement recently, with the New Zealander in contention going into the final round of last year’s UBS Hong Kong Open and the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters last month.

Copperleaf Golf & Country Estate, in Centurion, will host the €1.5million tournament, which is the sixth and final event to be held in South Africa this season. 

Four of the previous five tournaments have been won by South Africans, with Charl Schwartzel (at the Alfred Dunhill Championship), Louis Oosthuizen (Volvo Golf Champions), Richard Sterne (Joburg Open) and, most recently, Darren Fichardt (Africa Open) all triumphing in their homeland. 

Fichardt, currently 17th in The Race to Dubai, will be bidding to capture his fifth European Tour title over the 7,791 yards, par 72 course at Copperleaf Golf and Country Estate, which was designed by four-time Major Champion Ernie Els, whose grandfather, Ernie Vermaak, used to live on the land.

Fellow South African Jaco Van Zyl, one of the players Fichardt beat into second place at the Africa Open, heads to Centurion in fine fettle, having secured his 11th Sunshine Tour title at last week’s Dimension Data Pro-Am. 

Speaking after his one-shot win over England’s Daniel Brooks, Van Zyl said: “I’ve been getting better every week, and now I’m really looking forward to the Tshwane Open. To go there on the back of a win gives me great confidence that I can get my first victory on The European Tour.”

Trevor Fisher Jnr, tied sixth behind Sterne in the Joburg Open, and European Tour champion Hennie Otto should also be leading contenders to take the title, having finished joint third in the Dimension Date Pro-Am. 

Other notable names in the field include Europe’s victorious 2012 Ryder Cup Captain and Major Champion José María Olazábal, who tees up for the first time since finishing in the top 20 at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at the start of the month. 

The inaugural Tshwane Open, which carries a first prize of €237,750, will be co-sanctioned by The European and Sunshine Tours.

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Padraig Keeps Cadillac Chance

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Padraig Harrington's first-round exit at the Accenture Match Play Championship has not cost him a place in the WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami.

Harrington was knocked out by Graeme McDowell but other results in Tucson meant the Dubliner remains in the world's top 50 - by 0.019 ranking points.

Swede Alex Noren and South African Tim Clark earned places at Doral by climbing to 48th and 49th respectively at the expense of Dane Thomas Bjorn and American David Toms.

Harrington's fellow Irishman Shane Lowry missed out - his victories over world number one Rory McIlroy and Carl Pettersson were not enough.

Lowry needed to make the semi-finals, but was knocked out in the third round by McDowell.

He will have to turn his thoughts now to trying to make the top 50 by the end of March to qualify for a debut in the US Masters at Augusta on April 11-14.

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Day Ends for McDowell

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Graeme McDowell’s best display in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship ended at the quarter-final stage as the Northern Irishman was beaten one up by Jason Day.

Having seen off fellow Irishman Shane Lowry – the man who took down World Number One Rory McIlroy in the first round – at the start of the day, the Australian proved a step too far for the former US Open Champion.

McDowell went one up when his opponent conceded the first, and doubled his advantage at the third when he followed a magnificent tee shot with a successful 15 foot birdie putt.

However, The Ryder Cup star had to deal with consistently being 20-30 yards back from his opponent off the tee, and three bogeys in his next four holes allowed Day to draw level.

The 25 year old went ahead for the first time at the 11th, but missed a six footer at the 16th to leave matters all square again.

McDowell’s errant tee shot at the next prove costly, though; he was unable to salvage par from the left rough and when his birdie effort drifted by at the last Day was left with a simple three foot par putt for the contest.

Day will face Matt Kuchar in the semi-final after the American ended the challenges of Nicolas Colsaerts and Robert Garrigus on day four.

“It was very stressful out there today,” said Day. “I feel like my mind is going every which way right now. 

“Just to play the way I did on the back nine was very, very special. The whole game today felt really, really nice, and I'm looking forward to tomorrow. 

“Myself and G-Mac, we really didn't play our best, but you've just got to do enough. 

“I've got Matt Kuchar tomorrow, and I know he's very slow and steady, hits a lot of fairways and greens and can roll the rock when he can, and I'm looking forward to that.”

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McDowell Proves Lowry Match

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Graeme McDowell was pleased to progress to the last eight of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship after a 3 and 2 win over Shane Lowry.

The former US Open Champion recovered from losing the second hole to take five of the next seven against Rory McIlroy’s conqueror.

Lowry took the 15th after McDowell lost his drive then duffed a chip, but a par at the 16th was good enough to send him through to the quarter0final.

“With the possibility of another 18 holes this afternoon, I was very keen to get the match out of the way as soon as I could, especially when I was three and four up,” said the Northern Irishman.

“But Shane is a gritty competitor, very difficult to get the poker face on and really knuckle down and play Shane, being a good friend like he is. 

“When he hit that pin with the flop shot on 13, I was licking my chops there thinking I had a chance to go five up with five to play, and all of a sudden I found myself down 16 and really not wanting to go down much past that.”

Australian Jason Day was next for McDowell after a speedy turnaround, and The Ryder Cup star was expecting a tough battle.

“I enjoy the mano a mano of match play and the idiosyncrasies that different players have,” he added.

“I've had a few players this week make me putt short ones, so I have no problem with that. I think I'd probably prefer to play Jason than Bubba - Bubba would have been playing a different golf course from me. 

“At least I can play the same golf course as J.D. and hopefully playing the way I'm playing I have a chance to beat him.”

Ian Poulter remains on course for a second WGC Match Play title in Arizona after reaching the quarter-finals with a win over South African Tim Clark.

The Englishman won 5&3 in the third round and will return to action later on Saturday against Steve Stricker in the last eight.

Organisers are looking to get back on schedule after freak snowstorms delayed the start of the competition.

Third-round results (US unless stated):

Graeme McDowell (NI) bt Shane Lowry (Ire) 3&2

Jason Day (Aus) bt Bubba Watson 4&3

Robert Garrigus bt Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden) 3&1

Matt Kuchar bt Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) 4&3

Webb Simpson bt Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano 2 up

Hunter Mahan bt Martin Kaymer (Germany) 5&4

Steve Stricker bt Scott Piercy by 1 hole

Ian Poulter (Eng) bt Tim Clark (South Africa) 5&3

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